


"You can have half."

by LaLopez1981



Series: 100 Ways to Say I Love You [11]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: 100 Ways to Say I Love You Writing Challenge, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Developing Relationship, FrostIron - Freeform, Loki has one too, M/M, Mention of Thor, Prompt Fill, Sif isn't named, Tony Stark Has A Crush, Writer's Block, but she's there too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-19 05:51:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19969078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLopez1981/pseuds/LaLopez1981
Summary: Tony escapes his own birthday party by hiding in the kitchen — but he's not alone. He'd tried to date Loki Laufeyson once upon a time, but they were both too busy. Tony's still harboring a crush and he suddenly decides he's not gonna wait anymore.





	"You can have half."

**Author's Note:**

> This thing has been sitting in my drive since I came back from Morocco. But I'm taking two online classes this summer, which only lasts five weeks, so one week readings = three weeks and I am stressed TF out. Taking a break from history and posting this while I can — so I can start writing the next one lol. OK, enjoy!
> 
> xoxo, La

Tony burst through the kitchen’s swinging door, nearly tripping as he stumbled to get ahold of himself and spin around to look back out into the dining area, where people wandered around the large dining table, picking at the snacks, and pouring drinks. One half was covered with bowls and trays of food, the other with bottles and jugs, large and small, of various liquors and a few liters of different sodas. If Maria Stark succeeded at teaching her son anything in the short time, she had with him, it was how to host a good party. 

Tony stood at the door, holding it open just enough to peek through, as if checking for someone possibly following him, before he ducked and quickly closed the door. He pressed a hand against it to slow its swinging, and once it stopped, he breathed a sigh of relief. Straightening, he caught sight of the figure across the room, sitting at the island that stretched across the middle of the room, and froze. He was staring back at Tony with a quizzical look on his face, chewing silently. It took Tony a second to recognize him. 

“Um. Hey, Loki,” he greeted with an awkward salute. 

A pale hand lifted, gave one wave. “Hello.”

Tony breathed out a laugh, trying to appear cool and casual, as his heart rate slowed. He didn’t know where to start to explain. “So…that must have looked weird,” he said, aiming a thumb behind him, referring to his antics with the door just moments before.

“One man’s weird is another man’s normal,” came Loki’s answer, in that cool accent, accompanied with a casual shrug. 

Tony slowly smiled and chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so. What are you doing here?”

Loki swallowed again, though he’d already finished his food. “Thor made me come,” he said in a rush of words, as if Tony had accused him of something. “He said I needed to get out more. Well, that I needed to get my head out of my books.”

Tony held back a snicker. “Okay. I meant _here_ , like, in the kitchen. But it’s okay. You know you’re always welcome…to my parties.”

“Oh,” he mumbled, his cheeks turning a soft pink. “Thanks.”

Tony’s smile softened as he stepped further into his own kitchen. He stopped at the opposite end of the island to rummage through an extra bowl of candy. He wasn’t sure why, but for some reason he lost his ability to be Tony Stark: Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist™️ when he was in close proximity to Loki Laufeyson. They weren’t strangers; they’d known each other for a while before they tried dating earlier in the year. But, between Loki’s heavy class load as a graduate student, and Tony’s near obsessive tendency to lose track of time in a laboratory — occasionally, the one on campus, but usually, his own, there at the mansion — they just couldn’t seem to make it work. After a few weeks of dating, and a fumbling attempt or two to hook up, they mutually agreed it wasn’t working out. Tony thought it sucked and was getting on his best friend Rhodey’s last nerve going on about it, because he still had a major thing for this incredibly aloof, annoyingly intelligent Norwegian Adonis. Now, on the occasion they ended up in the same place, he struggled to not be his flirtatious self with Loki. Tony Stark didn’t know how to do platonic.

 _Say something, you idiot_.

“How have you —“

“Happy Birth —“

They started to speak at the same time and followed it up with an awkward chuckle.

“Sorry.”

Loki grinned. “I was just going to say happy birthday.”

“Oh. Thank you. Here’s to twenty-four, eh?” He mock-toasted with a tootsie roll, making Loki laugh, and took a bite of it. “So, Thor’s here? I didn’t see him around.”

“He’s here,” Loki answered, nodding. “He’s probably in one of your dozens of bedrooms upstairs. His girlfriend from back home accompanied us, so...”

“Girlfriend? Since when?”

Loki smirked. “They broke up after high school, when he left for college. They didn’t think the long distance would work since she stayed to go to a school closer to home. He went back to visit a few months ago and ran into her at the shop she manages. They hadn’t seen each other in a while, but sparks flew again, I guess.”

“Hm,” Tony hummed leaning on the counter with one hand. “Well, good for him. She cute?”

A snort escaped Loki, more at Tony than the question itself. “Yes, actually, she’s beautiful. If I was into girls…”

Tony’s brows rose, his expression impressed. “Oh really?” They both enjoyed a laugh when Loki blushed again. After their laughter faded, though, it got awkwardly quiet again. Tony tried to think of something to get Loki talking again — because _holy fuck_ his voice did things to him — and he managed to say the first thing that came to mind. “How’s it going with that Bucky guy?”

The humor faded from Loki’s face and Tony wondered if that was a subject he wasn’t supposed to approach. Loki cleared his throat. “Erm, we’re not — that didn’t — we didn’t really see each other for very long.”

“Oh…?” He’d heard through mutual friends that Loki had started seeing some long-haired, motorcycle riding baseball player about a month after they stopped seeing each other. He wasn’t jealous at all. But he also wasn’t mad that they couldn’t make it work either. “So, what was it? No connection? Busy schedules?”

Loki looked down at his lap, a wide grin curving his lips. “No,” he said on a chuckle. “I just didn’t stand a chance after he met the quarterback of the football team. They’ve been together since Spring Break.”

Tony stared, brown eyes wide, almost comically. “Shut _up_ , he’s dating Rogers now? Wait. I thought Rogers was with that British chick. You know? The pretty one.”

Loki shook his head. “No, they broke up last year, before summer. Peggy went back to England for the break and met someone. An American, from Los Angeles. Her name is Angie, if I recall.”

“Really? Wow.” Tony scratched his fingers through the short, dark hairs covering his chin, contemplating all this new information. “What the hell is in the water here? Is everybody gay now?”

Loki chuckled. “I believe they would be considered bisexual. But…yes. Peggy is looking into transferring to a school in Los Angeles.”

Tony’s only response was to raise his brows. “Oh, shit. Well, good for her, too.”

“Mm,” Loki hummed in agreement.

“You sure got the lowdown on everybody, huh.”

“Not everybody,” Loki murmured, his lips just barely curving. A chill went up Tony’s spine as their eyes met and he had to look away. “I don’t really talk to a lot of people. I tend to…fade into the background. They forget I’m there and…they talk. I listen. I watch.”

“You file it away for later,” Tony offered through a big smile. Loki scoffed, pretending to be offended. “You should come over more often. Keep me up with all the gossip. I can lose track of everyone really easy.”

“Come out of your cave once in a while.”

It was Tony’s turn to pretend to be offended. Though Loki wasn’t lying. Tony could get stuck in his lab for days working on a project. Sometimes he would forget to eat or sleep. “Ouch. Not untrue, but ouch.”

“Sorry,” Loki chuckled. “Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer.” Tony’s eyes flicked up to Loki. “I haven’t seen you around campus in a while. I spend a lot of time in the library myself, so…” he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

“Yeah…I mean, the offer’s there.” That slightly tense quiet fell over them again and Tony realized he hadn’t moved from where he had stopped when he’d stepped into the kitchen, the island was there as an odd barrier between him and Loki. “Hey, uh, sorry about Bucky. I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject.”

“You didn’t.” He smiled softly when Tony tilted his head in question. “He and Steven are quite happy together. And disgustingly cute. They’re moving in together later this year. And James has actually become one of my closest friends. Next to Thor, at least.”

Tony rolled his eyes, making a derisive noise in his throat. “He doesn’t count. He’s practically your family.”

Loki grinned, conceding to Tony’s point. He paused briefly, biting at his bottom lip. “What about you?”

“Who, me? What about me?” Tony questioned innocently, overly sweet, and mock batting his eyelashes. Loki threw his head back a little as he laughed, exposing his neck, and then tucking his hair behind his ear. It made Tony’s mouth water.

“You have a reputation, Anthony Stark. Surely you’ve been living up to it.”

Tony must have looked like a fool. He was practically swooning. Loki was the only person, since his mother, that he allowed to use his full name. And it was just because it sounded so much prettier on his lips than his nickname. He probably looked like fucking Bambi with his eyes all big, soft, and dewy. _Get yourself together, asshole_. “No, not really. You know me: busy, busy, busy. Always in the lab.”

“Hmm,” Loki hummed again, and Tony’s eyes went directly to his throat again. “So, who were you running from just now?”

Tony blinked. “What?” Loki reached for something in front of him and popped a piece of whatever it was into his mouth, then gave Tony the sexiest knowing look ever. Tony smiled at being caught. “Just some chick,” he said before leaning a hand on the counter. “We may or may not have gone out for a spur of the moment date a couple weeks ago, and we may or may not have hooked up for a brief and not spectacular moment, and I may or may not have…never…called…her back.”

Loki mockingly frowned at him. “Well, that doesn’t sound like you at all.”

“Shut. Up.”

They shared another quick laugh and Tony wanted to sigh. As nervous as he sometimes could get with Loki, he’d forgotten how other times it was also so easy with him. Not many of the people in his life could keep up with him; Loki could and sometimes out-snarked him. It was _such_ a turn-on.

“I mean, she’s cool and all. Funny, smart, legs for days. I’m just…” He’d straightened, but remained in his spot, and started fidgeting with his hands. “I don’t know. I’ve tried to go out with different people, but everyone just kinda bores me.”

Loki chewed another piece of whatever he had, then paused to give Tony a sympathetic look. Tony supposed he knew the feeling.

“The only one who never bored me…was you,” he said quietly.

Loki paused again, a hand halfway to his mouth. He lowered it, slowly, and his lips spread in a sheepish grin. “You don’t have time for me.”

Suddenly very serious, Tony leveled a look at Loki. “I can _make_ time for you.”

Loki’s smile faded as he shifted on the stool. “Anthony…”

“Don’t say no.” Moving so fast, Loki stiffened, his back going ramrod straight, Tony moved around the counter closer to Loki. He opened his mouth to speak, but Tony beat him to it. “No, don’t.” And then he was closer. “I know; I know we tried before, but maybe this time we know better.”

“Anthony —”

“I really like you, Loki. Like, _really_.” Loki’s cheeks went slightly pink again, his lips twitching up. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop comparing everyone to you. I threw this party hoping that you’d come ‘cause otherwise what’s the point.”

Loki made a noise that was half-scoff, half-laugh. “That is a bold-faced lie, Anthony.”

“Yeah,” he replied with a short laugh. “But it sounded good, didn’t it?”

“Maybe.”

Beside Loki now, Tony reached out and covered Loki’s hand on the counter with his. Loki’s eyes moved down to their joined hands before he looked back up to meet Tony’s eyes. “Gimme another shot, yeah? I’m worth it. I’m I’d-follow-you-to-a-whole-other-school worth it. You know what I’m saying?” He leaned down, resting on his elbows, keeping Loki’s hand between his.

Loki laughed and tightened his fingers around Tony’s. “Will you shut up and kiss me already?”

Tony didn’t need to be told twice. Lips spread in a wide smile, he surged forward, and pressed his mouth on Loki’s, who, in turn, cupped Tony’s face and angled his head to deepen the kiss. “Mmm, what did you eat? You taste like frosting.”

“ _Ehehe_ , just some cake I found amongst all this stuff here on the counter.”

Tony pulled back, frowning, nearly pouting. “Cake? There’s cake? Was it my birthday cake?”

Loki cocked a brow. “Erm, I don’t know. It was just the one piece.” Moving some empty cups, plates, and other things around, Loki pulled the small paper plate out from under a piece of crumpled foil so Tony could see the partially eaten slice of chocolate cake Loki had been picking at.

“Oh, man! What the fuck! I didn’t even get candles and a song,” Tony whined as he crumpled up the foil more and threw it half-heartedly.

“I’m sorry, Anthony. I had no idea. But, look. There’s still a good amount left.” He offered the small plate and Tony begrudgingly looked down at it. “You can have half.”

Tony, still pouting, met Loki’s friendly gaze, and pouted more. After a second, they broke into giggles at the same time. “You’re such a dick.”

“I was joking! You can have the whole thing, obviously. Here.” He broke off another, bigger piece of the cake and offered it to Tony.

Relenting, Tony leaned in again to let Loki feed the piece to him, making sure to let his tongue and lips linger around Loki’s fingers. Standing this close, he could hear Loki’s breath catch. He removed Loki’s fingers from his mouth and swallowed down the cake.

“You’re a tease,” Loki murmured.

“You have no idea,” Tony answered, straightening up.

Loki breathed out a shaky laugh before turning on the stool to face Tony better. He laid an arm on the counter, resting his weight on it, and tilted up his chin to look at him. “Are you really sure you want to try this again?”

Taking advantage of being the tall one for once, and able to look down at Loki, Tony leaned closer, their faces just inches apart. “Never been more sure about anything ever in my entire —”

“Anthony.”

He smirked, pursing his lips. “I’m sure.”

Loki leaned up to meet Tony’s mouth this time, and this time, the kiss was slower, more intimate, and it was Tony who cupped Loki’s face. Loki’s hands came up to wrap lightly around Tony’s wrists, and just as the kiss began to deepen, the door to the kitchen burst open.

“Aha! There you a…oh.” The young woman that came through nearly skidded to a stop, her eyes wide as she stared at Tony and Loki embracing. “Oh!” she gasped.

Tony and Loki had stopped kissing, but they didn’t pull apart very much, even at the interruption. After a few tense moments, Tony managed to slip from Loki’s hold, but took Loki’s hand, moving toward the counter, in his. “Hey, Chris…what’s up?”

She blinked, her eyes darting between the two of them, clearly trying to take in what exactly she was looking at. When Tony spoke, she glared, her lips forming a tight pout. “I told you, it’s Chris _tine_! Jerk!” With a disgusted groan, she twirled around and stormed out.

“Uh…whoops?”

Loki sighed shortly, giving him a disapproving look. “Well done. I suppose everyone will hear about us now.” Loki stood from the stool, stretching his back and arms.

“So?” Tony straightened as well, watching Loki, working hard not to let his eyes drop to the sliver of pale skin exposed as his black shirt lifted. “Let ‘em hear. You care?”

Loki lowered his arms, smiled at Tony. “Darling, I don’t care about anyone’s opinions about myself, much less what they think about who I might be shagging.”

“Shagging?” Tony nearly giggled. “Well, then. Whaddya say…” Tony inched closer, slipping an arm around Loki’s incredibly slim waist, pressing into his body, and giving into his urge to press his lips to the side of Loki’s throat. “I kick all these people out of my house, and you finish feeding me that cake.” 

Loki chuckled, simultaneously leaning into Tony’s mouth, and tucking his chin into chest at the tickle of his goatee. “Is that your birthday wish?”

“No, that’s my birthday _present_ ,” Tony mumbled against Loki’s skin, then leaned back to look at him. “I already got my wish.” He reached up to kiss Loki again — and knew he would never get tired of that — and Loki all but melted into him. When they broke apart, Loki rolled his eyes, even as he smirked.

“Sentiment.”

“Mmhmm. I’m a big ole sap. Get used to it.” Tony pulled away, reluctantly, and intertwined his and Loki’s fingers, smiling, pleased at the feeling, and started to pull him away. “Grab that cake, would ya?”

Loki did and laughed. “Are you really going to make me feed you this? There’s still a lot of it.”

Tony stopped at the swinging door, a hand up against it, ready to push, and grinned back at Loki. “You can have half.”


End file.
